Voluntarily Housebound: Use Your Words

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I'm using: dark ~ cold ~ snowy ~ housebound ~ fire
They were submitted by Diane of On the Border.
                         
Are these the perfect words for this time of year or what? I wrote recently about how much I hate the January doldrums, the whole let down from the holidays. These words Diane gave me could easily have been used in that post. When it's dark, cold and snowy out, I tend to be voluntarily housebound, preferring sitting by the fire to venturing out. Winter clothes, winter foods, nothing to do but wait it out.
 

Winter Breakfast Casserole

Maybe it's just my age. Back when I was in college, winter didn't bother me as much, I was always up for anything. I lived just a few hours from some great ski mountains and could often be found in a lift line. But college is a time for making plans and getting out there. 

Or not making plans but getting out there anyway, like these fictional young men:

Winter camping was the plan,
ill advised though it may be.
More than just a little drunk,
plan made by college three.

Long johns, hats and triple socks
to protect them from the cold.
Out into the woods they went,
drunk can make you bold.

The dark of night may not have been
the best choice for these three.
Figured out the third time that
they smacked into a tree.

Build a fire was the plan,
smart they thought they were.
Turns out the only firewood
still attached to Pine and Fir.

And then the first one had to pee,
easier said than done.
Wobbling in a snowy bank,
turns out it wasn't fun.

Home next day some friends stopped by,
"Come with us, snowboard and ski".
"Enjoy yourselves", still cold boys said,
Housebound is where we'll be.


Happy winter, everyone. Stay warm out there!

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

Bookworm in the Kitchen
On the Border
Cognitive Script
 Part-time Working Hockey Mom
The Bergham Chronicles
Southern Belle Charm 
Climaxed
The Blogging 911 
                                                                

Winter Breakfast Casserole

                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

8 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup eggnog
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup orange liqueur (can skip, if desired)
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 box (16 oz) frozen french toast sticks
3 oz cream cheese
1 box (16 oz) frozen cinnamon french toast sticks
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup cranraisins
1 cup frozen blueberries
OPT: powdered sugar for serving

Directions:
*Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
*In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, eggnog, maple syrup, orange liqueur (if using), orange zest and salt. 
*Spread the cream cheese onto one side of each of the frozen french toast sticks. Cut into quarters.
*Cut the frozen cinnamon french toast sticks into quarters.
*Add all of the chopped french toast sticks, bacon, cranraisins and blueberries to the bowl. Mix well. Pour into the prepared baking dish, cover with tin foil and refrigerate overnight.
*Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator one hour before baking.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 55 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. 
*OPT: Sprinkle with powdered sugar.